Ron Paul concedes defeat, asks supporters to ‘be respectful’ in Tampa

Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.

But that doesn’t mean that the Texas congressman is ending his campaign.

Far from it. In an email to supporters yesterday, Paul acknowledged that he was far short of the number of delegates needed to capture the GOP nomination. But he said he had far exceeded expectations and would arrive at the national convention in Tampa with far more delegates than the pundits are now predicting — up to 20 percent of the total.

“When it is all said and done, we will likely have as many as 500 supporters as delegates on the convention floor,” the libertarian lawmaker from Lake Jackson said in his email. “That is just over 20 percent! And while this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!”

Paul noted that his campaign “will send several hundred additional supporters to Tampa who, while bound to Romney, believe in our ideas of liberty, constitutional government, and a common-sense foreign policy.”

The Texan also tried to tamp down the enthusiasm that has led to confrontations at several recent state conventions, most recently in Louisiana over the past weekend.

“Our delegates’ presence must be felt both in Tampa and in years to come,” Paul declared. “Stand up for what we believe in. Be respectful. And let the establishment know that we are the future of the Party and of the country.”

Paul delivered a similar message today while speaking to the Texas Republican state convention in Fort Worth.